Ralph Steadman's legendary partnership with Hunter S. Thompson launched a new style of reporting and captured the imagination of a generation. Their most notorious collaboration, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," became one of the bestselling titles of our era. Gonzo really is unique and eye-catching; it is the first time Ralph Steadman's art has been gathered together in one volume-a celebration of the illustrative style that influenced a generation of writers, designers, artists, and filmmakers. It is the summation of an inspired, brilliant career and of a style that is at once high art and social commentary. Steadman's signature lends itself as much to the nineties as it did to the sixties, seventies, and eighties.

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Product description

Amazon Review

Hunter S. Thompson, in his drunken, rambling introduction to this volume of paintings and illustrations, calls Ralph Steadman "the Albert Gore of twentieth century art". It's hard to imagine a less apt appellation: Steadman's drawings and paintings are the wild antithesis of the notoriously stiff vice president. His pop art is also the opposite of Warhol's clean lines and soulless imagery; it screams with pain and nightmare power. While Steadman is best known for his illustrations to Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and other works, here his art is given free rein, and works with titles like "Earliest man, full of the sense of his own worth, screaming into the blackness, needing no god but himself..." and "Good time crucifix" combine Steadman's trademark splattered ink and unfolded figures with collage and sloppy airbrush. Although the text may offend those with no sense of irony (Thompson compares Steadman to artist manqué Adolf Hitler; Steadman relates the story of his first bowel movement), the hyperactive visuals are sure to delight even those who've never snorted ether while tripping on pure human adrenochrome. --James DiGiovanna
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

RALPH STEADMAN has illustrated many books, including Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the fiftieth-anniversary edition of George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is the author of The Grapes of Ralph (for which he won a Glenfiddich Food & Drink Award), Still Life with Bottle, The Book of Jones, and Gonzo: The Art.

Top customer reviews

Ralph Steadman's art is wonderfully dark and twisted. I was first introduced to it when Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas came out (as a movie, not book), and ever since I have always kept an eye out for his work. To find a collection such as this, with awesome pieces of art was a great find. The price is very fair, and they did an excellent job of picking which pieces were included in the book, for all of you Gonzo fan, pick up this book, you will not regret it!

Quite disappointed with this book. Discovered Steadman initially through the works of Hunter S. Thompson and became facinated with the twisted mind of an obvious artistic and talented Steadman. However, the only part of this book to interest me was indeed the artists exploits with Thompson. Around this period I believe his work to be at its best. Otherwise, an interesting read but not consistent enough to achieve five stars...or four for that matter!

I was encouraged by my brother to read Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing it was the Foreword that i heard about Ralph Steadman. Steadman is a close friend of Thompson and his book, Gonzo the Art, includes many illustrations to fear and Loathing, that as enthusiast for art i felt that i just had to have a peek. The Art is immensly dark and interegating making it more than just a series of pictures but more a description of a society that we, or at least I, don't live in. A lot of Art of this period can be brushed over by the eye as just a series of paint upon a canvas, but not this. Every page invites you to look deeply into the painting, to pshyco-analyse and ask Why?. His writings are just as dark as his illustrations, but clarify in some obscure way his 'madness', i personally recommend the piece about his father. My overall reactions is that you cannot look at it as a piece of literature, or a book of fine art, it is Ralph Steadmans contribution to the wonderful world of Gonzo. Any fan of this genre, should at least give it a go. You may like it, you may not, but how will you know if you dont try?.

i, like most was introduced to gonzo via hunter s thopmson and this book was bought 4 me as a present. it has, not only an abundance of the different styles of steadmans art but interesting chapters about his relationship with thopson and his childhood e.t.c. worth the money, not only if u r using the book as i have for an art project, but as a mere coffee table book as it is great to see the faces of people who innocently flick thru the pages to find pictures of horses chopped in half e.t.c